Sarah Güsten-Marr

Biography

Sarah Güsten-Marr was born in Liberia, West Africa, in 1970. Orphaned as a baby, Güsten-Marr was adopted by German parents and brought up together with her two older sisters in West Africa, Germany, USA, and Italy. After her school years in Washington D.C. and Rome, Güsten-Marr studied at the Academia di Moda, Rome and at the Istituto Europeo di Design di Roma. She then went on to Winchester School of Art in Great Britain and graduated from the American College of the Applied Arts in London.

Sarah Güsten-Marr is an extensive world traveller who believes that, “travelling is finding.” Always keen to learn from the world around her, to this day, Sarah Güsten-Marr continues to travel the world finding inspiration in the people she meets. For Güsten-Marr, it is a privilege to experience different cultures, to understand their differences and learn from their teachings. It is the combination of these unique experiences that has influenced the style of painting she is best known for today.

Güsten-Marr’s style is characterized by her use of bold colouring and expressive brushstrokes creating works that evoke an intense emotional response from the viewer. For Güsten-Marr, each application of colour is deliberate and is directly related to the emotions felt by the artist at the time of painting. Often working on several canvases at once allows Güsten-Marr to access the unadulterated subconscious mind resulting in raw and honest yet powerful artworks. For Güsten-Marr, art is a fundamental part of our society and through her art, expresses the world she sees around her.